Attack on Titan finally gives Jean his moment to shine

Following the recent conclusion of the Attack on Titan anime series, fans have been praising both the series as a whole and its finale episode in isolation in various aspects. Fans have been praising the overall narrative and how the final episode tied the series’ story together in a satisfying and enthralling manner.

There are also more minute aspects of the Attack on Titan anime and its finale that fans have been eagerly discussing, most of which are driven by nostalgia for earlier seasons. Some of the aspects of the finale that have been heavily praised are the Schindler’s List references, the final fight scene between the Survey Corps and Eren, and the epilogue-like ending.

However, one specific aspect of the Attack on Titan finale that seemingly went under the radar is the impressive role Jean Kirstein plays in the final stages of the Survey Corps’ mission. More specifically, some fans are going as far as to say that the finale episode of the series finally gave Jean a moment to truly shine in an area he was always said to excel at.

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Attack on Titan finale’s epic fight scene reminds everyone why Jean Kirstein is such a highly regarded soldier

How the finale gave Jean his moment, explained

As those who’ve watched the Attack on Titan finale know well, a significant portion of its screen time focuses on the Survey Corps’ effort to neutralize Eren and his various intelligent titans. Essentially, the entire group is a part of this assault, each playing key roles at various different points in order to bring down Eren and stop the rumbling.

However, there’s one scene in which Reiner (in his Armored Titan form) sets Jean up to use his ODM gear to approach Eren’s massive Founding Titan head. This is to achieve the end goal of reaching an explosive detonator, which he does and likewise successfully detonates the explosives. This causes Eren’s head to fall from the Founding Titan’s body, seemingly killing him as a result.

While the Attack on Titan finale proves that Jean’s efforts weren’t as successful as fans had hoped, there’s much more to be taken away from the scene than this tragic failure. In fact, the scene perfectly demonstrates Jean’s strongest skills as a Survey Corps soldier, especially as it relates to his dependability and skills with ODM gear.

Some fans have even gone as far as to remind others that Jean was indeed ranked first in ODM gear during his time in the Training Corps, which becomes evident in this finale scene. Jean is shown fearlessly swinging past Titans, focused not on the imminent death around him but instead on his ultimate goal. He’s also clearly placing faith in his own skills, as well as those of his comrades, to carry him to this significant and necessary objective.

In this way, the Attack on Titan finale perfectly emphasizes everything that Jean’s character is meant to be about. Despite being cocky and rude at times, he’s always more than willing to sacrifice himself for greater objectives and goals, and he also has the skills to ensure his own survival while doing so. This combination of characteristics and ability makes for an incredibly dependable soldier, whose actions are arguably some of the finale’s most influential.

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